I Forgive You
by ReiKingdom
Summary: After the visit from the Ice King, Marceline needs to let some things out. Inspired by the song and set directly after the episode "I Remember You". No pairings. Angst, with a bittersweet ending, Tragedy(?). (Does this count as a song fic?) /one-shot, complete/ (also on Archive of Our Own)


_Hey, People of the Internet!_

 _I actually just wrote this on a whim because why not?_

 _I was actually watching through Adventure Time episodes again and was like; IDEA!_

 _So this is set directly after the episode "I Remember You" (Season 4, Episode 25; or Episode 103)._

 _But yeah..._

 _This is angst-y (does this count as a tragedy too?) so if you don't like sad things you probably shouldn't read this._

 _Anyway..._

 _Onto the story~_

* * *

 _..._

 _'Marceline,  
_ _Is it just, you and me in the wreckage of the world?'_

 _..._

He didn't remember.

That was all she could think about.

Before the War, what he did, who he was…

 _…And who he was, to me._

Hot tears slid down her face in streams, the feeling of aching desperation sparking once again after so long.

 _..._

 _'That must be so confusing for a little girl.'_

 _..._

She ran a hand through her hair.

And if anyone told her it was trembling, she would deny it.

A long sigh escaped her dry throat.

It sounded more like a choked sob.

 _..._

 _'And I know you're going to need me here with you.'_

 _._ _..._

She still needed him.

She still _wanted_ him.

Wanted to be there with her.

To tell her stories, to sing her songs.

Just like they did in the past.

 _..._

 _'But I'm losing myself, and I'm afraid you're going to lose me too.'_

 _..._

She began to cry again.

 _But I did lose you, Simon. I've lost you._

Soft whimpers escaped her lips as she furiously tried to scrub her tears away.

 _I lost you…_

 _..._

 _'This magic keeps me alive,  
_ _But its making me crazy.'_

 _..._

The Ice King was long gone.

Carding a hand through her hair once again, she shakily got to her feet before stumbling.

Catching herself, she settled into a hover, not trusting her legs to hold her if she stood.

 _..._

 _'And I need to save you,  
_ _But who's going to save me?'_

 _..._

After the singing session, the Ice King had flown back to his castle, rambling excitedly about the song.

He'd left behind all of the pages he'd brought with him.

Gingerly, as if it would break if she so much spoke, she picked up the last photo.

She stared hollowly at the picture of her own smiling face.

She turned the picture over.

 _..._

 _'Please forgive me, for whatever I do,  
_ _When I don't remember you.'_

 _..._

A choked sob echoed throughout the room.

A single fell, smudging the words so sincerely written.

 _I miss you._ She wanted to say.

She wanted to fly right to his castle and _make_ him remember.

She wanted him to just _remember_.

 _..._

 _'Marceline,  
_ _I can feel myself slipping away.'_

 _..._

She tore her eyes away from the picture, hastily scrubbing away newly shed tears.

Clutching it desperately to chest, but careful not to crease it, she slowly made her way back to her room, back to the box with all the other pages the Ice King brought, so she could lock it away.

Like the rest of her past.

 _..._

 _'I can't remember what it made me say.'_

 _..._

She was running away, she knew, but she didn't know how else to cope.

She'd been all around Ooo, and he'd always managed to find her for some dumb reason or another.

Every time she saw him, she was torn between screaming at him to leave her alone, and throwing herself into his arms and clinging to him, so he would never leave her again.

But she knew she couldn't.

So she never did.

 _..._

 _'But I remember that I saw you frown.'_

 _..._

She couldn't breathe when she opened the box for the last time.

It was as if all the pain of her past with Simon was contained in that single box.

And if she closed it, the perpetual numbness would eventually sooth it away.

Somewhere deep in her heart, she knew it wouldn't.

 _Because I could never forget you._

 _..._

 _'I swear it wasn't me, it was the crown.'_

 _..._

She dropped it and collapsed onto the floor beside the box.

With trembling hands, she gently lifted it towards herself again.

Feeling the roughness of the aged material between her fingers, she cried.

And it hurt.

 _..._

 _'This magic keeps me alive,  
But its making me crazy.'_

 _..._

She cried for Simon – the man she could only remember.

She cried for the Ice King – the man who couldn't.

She cried for her past – times she couldn't change.

She cried for his future – times she couldn't have.

 _..._

 _'And I need to save you  
_ _But who's going to save me?'_

 _..._

She cried because she couldn't save him.

She cried because he did.

 _..._

 _'Please forgive me, for whatever I do,  
_ _When I don't remember you.'_

 _..._

She cried because he didn't remember.

She cried because she did.

 _..._

 _'Please forgive me, for whatever I do,  
_ _When I don't remember you.'_

 _..._

Her tears finally stopped, and though her voice was hoarse, she stared into the picture and uttered;

"I forgive you."

…

And if you were listening, the sound of gentle chords and a soft voice could be heard singing a soulful song to a man named Simon.

 _..._

 _"Simon,_  
 _It was just, you and me in the wreckage of the world._  
 _You were there with me when I was a little girl._  
 _And I just want to be right here with you,  
_ _But you've lost yourself, and I know I've lost you too._

 _..._

 _That magic's kept you alive,_  
 _But it's made you crazy._  
 _And I want to save you,_  
 _But I can't 'cause I'm just me._  
 _Please forgive me, for what I can't do,_  
 _But I'll still remember you._

 _..._

 _Simon,_  
 _I watched you as you slipped away._  
 _When you couldn't remember what you had to say._  
 _You froze the waters so we wouldn't drown,_  
 _But I never wanted you to use the crown._

 _..._

 _That magic's kept you alive,_  
 _But it's made you crazy._  
 _And I want to save you,_  
 _But I can't 'cause I'm just me._  
 _Please forgive me, for what I can't do,_  
 _But I'll still remember you._

 _..._

 _Please forgive me, for what I can't do,  
And I've forgiven you."_

 _..._

"I forgive you, Simon, and I'll always remember you."

* * *

 _Thanks for reading!_

 _I actually wrote the uh... other lyrics (meaning the 'Simon...' part) first before making it into an actual story._

 _Please leave a review to tell me what I could do to improve or just tell me that it sucked! (or it didn't.)_

 _Honesty appreciated and DFTBA!_

~Rei K.


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